Rockstar reveals GTA Online

Grand Theft Auto Online has been revealed by Rockstar. The game will be the multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto 5 but is also described as a 'dynamic and persistent online world.'

Launching two weeks after Grand Theft Auto 5 itself, GTA Online will allow you to work co-operatively on missions and explore the city and it's many mini-games with up to 16 players.

Post launch, Rockstar intends to continue adding content to the game and there will also be a capacity for the community to create its own content including races and missions via a built in content creation app.

Some of the additional features include an insurance system for your cars, upgradable apartments and garages, and the ability to play the in-game stock market. Your character will also apparently lip-sync whatever you say into your headset.

GTA Online will be accessible from the main game's character selection screen and will not need to be bought separately from GTA 5. The main game is set to launch on September 17 on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Previous games in the series have featured online modes with Grand Theft Auto 4 including 15 different modes and also supporting up to 16 players on the PC edition.

A more traditional open world approach was however found in a popular multiplayer mod for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which featured support for hundreds of players playing concurrently and included a bounty system to keep people on their toes.